The Innocence of a Child
by SherlockedOnCumberbatch
Summary: After many years in prison Loki escapes and ends up on Midguard, seeking refuge he hide in a barn. One night the most unexpected character goes into the barn and discovers his hiding place.


Biting his lips blood trickled down his chin. Shutting his eyes tighter he felt the pain soar through his body. Leaning against the cold stone wall he felt his heart beat quicken. A crack roared above his head and his back split open in another spot identical to the others that oozed blood. He tried not to flinch knowing that his movements would be the reason for more pain. Unfortunately the attackers noticed the movement and the whip was once again raised into the air. Again and again the powerful weapon beat its victim. The attackers laughed at their handiwork. Blood had puddled around the hanging body, the crimson red was staining the ground as a reminder that no longer was he great and powerful.  
One of the guards kicked at the bloody puddle and the red liquid landed on its masters face. "So your the great Loki Laufeyson! The 'Oh so powerful God of mischief!'" Slamming his fist into the victims side he grinned. Evil radiated off of him sending a chill through Loki's spin. The shudder pleased the guards and they laughed as they walked out of the small cell. They left him as always, hanging in the air chocking for air praying for release. He danced upon his toes trying to find comfort but it never came. He tried to summon his magic but he could not feel it, once he could have at least felt it's presence but now he was alone.  
He waited and waited knowing that they would return. That was almost as painful as what they brought with them. He knew they would come but never when. The massive metal door opened and the two men walked in. Loki tried to turn to see his advisories but was pulled to the ground by loving gravity. The chains that had once held him in the air met with the floor with ease. He grimaced as his broken back hit the hard floor. He wished he could lay there and heel, even five minutes alone would have been pure bliss for him, but his wishes were to never come true and he was jerked to his feet. The guards each grabbed a frazzled arm and pulled the man out of his cell. Struggling to stand on his feet, Loki's skin tore over the jagged stone floor, leaving a trail of blood.  
He tried to see where he was being taken through teary eyes. But it was impossible. The endless months in darkness had dimmed his vision and even the small torches that lighted the hallway made him blind. The three entered a large room that wreaked of blood and death. The smell made Loki's stomach churn and he hurled onto the guards shoes earning him several kicks in the stomach and side. A missed kick had landed on his face and blood soon was trickling down his lips.  
The guards pissed at the trickster they threw him upon a long wooden table. Loki tried to curl into a ball trying to evade whatever horror that lay in front of him. The weakling was no match for two angry men and his arms were ripped from his sides and tide securely with rough thick ropes. His legs were bound as well and they were spread apart. One of the guards leaned over the poor creature blocking the light so Loki could see for the first time. His attacker wore a smile that could scare the devil. The gleam in his eyes haunted Loki.  
"Where's your father now?" He laughed drooling into the face below, " where's your brother, Thor!" He lifted a muzzle and strapped it over the wiggling face. Loki protested dodging the threatening item. A rough hand grabbed his throat chocking him and shoved the muzzle onto his face. Strapping it on he pulled the leather straps tight cutting into Loki's skin making him grimace. A tear cascaded dow his face and landed on the wooden table. The man stood up and walked over to a crank at the end of the table. The other guard stood at the other end next to an identical crank.  
Slowly as if he wanted his victim to die in suspense, he slowly turned the crank. The other guard mimicked him. Loki's arms and legs were pulled and he tensed. He knew what this was, panicking he tried to pull back, to escape this dreadful place but the ropes held him down. The ropes dug into his wrist and ankles blood soon pooled on the wooden table. The guards pulled tighter and Loki screamed a muffle cry through the muzzle, so this is why they put it on him, so they would not hear his dyeing cries. He curved his back as his arms were slowly being ripped out of its rightful place. They stopped and for a second he thought it was over. He was no longer lying on the table but hovering a few inches from the ground, held up by his wrists and ankles.  
Loki tried to summon any magic but it was not there, he was destined to be tortured with pain until the day he died. He didn't think it would be this way, not this bad at least. He had thought that the Allfather would have at least let him keep his healing magic to make it bearable.

He remembered that day, the day he was dragged before Odin. He had sauntered up to the throne and bowed before the King. His eyes gleamed as he look at his "father". Odin stood before his fallen son face stern and unyielding. Thor stood in between them watching the silent battle that they fought. Loki's smirk was hidden by the metal muzzle that had been placed upon his face.  
"You have dishonored your family, and killed your people! You attacked the innocent Midguards, allied with our enemies." The firm face had cracked and Loki saw the utter despair that was written on the olds kings face. But quickly that crack was sealed and the face of a powerful Allfather was left behind. "What do you have to say for your actions, for the lives you have destroyed." He motioned to one of the guards and the muzzle was removed and the smirk was finally revealed.  
"Father," he nodded to his adopted dad ," brother," glancing at Thor he continued with his spiel. " I stand before you today and you wish for an apologetic speech. But you will get none!" voice rising he shouted", I do not regret trying to overcome a nation but I do regret doing it for the sake of trying to get your approval! I do not regret destroying monsters so they will no longer haunt the innocent. But I do regret not seeing them run for their lives and their great buildings fall into dust. I do not regret anything!" Screaming Loki leaned forward pulling against the chains that had started to drag him away. He watched as his father bowed his head ashamed of what he had raised. Thor's look of desperation almost made Loki think about his words, but the trickster didn't think to long on the subject.  
They had dragged him to a cell in the lowest part in Asgard, a place where no person could hear screams of agony. They chained him to the wall and left their. It had been three years since that day, and now Loki regretted it. Maybe Odin would have been more understanding more lenient, but he had ruined that chance when he yelled at his King.

Everyday the guards would try to bring something new with them just to keep the anticipation alive. It was always bad but this, the rack! It was just pure madness! But there he hung nether less. He hated his father for letting them do this to them, he hated Thor for not coming to his rescue. Thor? Where was that brother who said he would always look out for him. Who promised to be by his side always.  
Loki cried, hovering in the air. He wished this was over, he wished they would just kill him, death would be a comfort compared to this. No one heard his pleas and he was left there hanging from limbs that were falling apart. The guards had left. They were tired of seeing a broken face of a broken man.  
And so he hung there, tired in agony and waiting. He waited for someone to come, and that was almost as worse as the torture.


End file.
